Trump walks out of talks to end 19-day shutdown

Trump walks out of talks to end 19-day shutdown

President Trump went to Capitol Hill Wednesday to shore up support for his border wall as some of his fellow Republicans in Congress appeared to waver, as a government shutdown drags on.

Vanessa Johnston explains.

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Trump walks out of talks to end 19-day shutdown

The prospect of President Trump declaring a national emergency over his demand for a border wall seemed closer than ever Wednesday..

After an acrimonious meeting at the White House between Democrats and Republicans ended with the two sides even further from a compromise to end a 19 day old government shutdown..… Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer… SOT Moments later, Vice President Mike Pence blamed the impasse squarely on Democrats: SOT On Twitter, Trump called the meeting "a total waste of time".

The fruitless talks came a day after Trump made his pitch for the wall in prime time… UPSOUND …and after Trump took his fight for a BORDER WALL to Capitol Hill ..

Making the case to his own fellow Republicans…some of whom appear to be wavering as the shutdown takes an ever-greater toll..

Threatening a wide range of government services from air safety to food stamps..

Moderate GOP lawmakers ..

Including Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins..

Are growing increasingly ANXIOUS over Trump's s position that he will only re-open the government if he gets $5.7 billion dollars to fund the wall, which the Democrats have flatly rejected..

Some Republicans also oppose Trump's threat to bypass Congress entirely by declaring a national emergency to build the wall… worrying that Trump would divert money earmarked for national defense..

SOT This as Democrats who now control the House of Representatives ramped up the pressure on Republicans… advancing a series of bills aimed at immediately reopening several government agencies..

Essentially daring Republicans to cast votes to keep the government closed... On Thursday… Trump plans to visit the US border with Mexico…highlighting what he calls a security and humanitarian "crisis".